Savagar and Searle Still Outdoor Swimming in December

Last Saturday, whilst most of us were waking up in the comfort of our warm and cosy beds, and other members of Stroud Masters Swimming Club were travelling west to Cardiff for an indoor swim meet (and a temperate 28oC water temp), two members continued their weekly outdoor swimming pursuits in the picturesque setting of Lake 32, Cotswold Water Park.

Swan, Lorraine Savager, Richard Searle Swan, Lorraine Savager, Richard Searle

Not deterred with the bitterly cold outdoor air temp of -3oC, water frozen in the lake’s car park puddles, and only a slightly ‘warmer’ water temperature of 5oC, Lorraine Savagar and Richard Searle joined the lake’s resident Mute swans to see in December in a way most others would consider rather eccentric!

Richard choose to swim 2km around the perimeter of the lake (sans booties) whilst Lorraine decided on an equally challenging swim of the 750m buoy marked course - which she followed immediately by a short sans wetsuit swim and in doing so trumped Richard!

At such low temperatures unprotected hand and feet soon succumb to the numbing cold and all manual dexterity is lost, making even the simplest task of removing goggles post swim a real challenge (cupped hands are the order of the day). Any thought of a warm post swim shower are soon curtailed by the reminder of the uncomfortable - bordering on painful - sensation of blood returning to the extremities!

Although mulled wine and a mince pie would have been more fitting for a post December open water swim, Lorraine and Richard settled for a flask of warming tea whilst enjoying the radiant heat the low morning sun offered.